


an unexpected bonus

by spacebubble



Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: Episode: s3e23 Family Business, Ferengi, Ficlet, Introspection, M/M, One-Sided Attraction, Pre-Slash, once again Quark distracts a man from doing his job
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-19
Updated: 2020-07-19
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:26:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25387504
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spacebubble/pseuds/spacebubble
Summary: FCA Liquidator Brunt arrives at the station, resenting every minute of it - until an unexpected perk of the job changes his mind.
Relationships: Brunt & Quark (Star Trek), Brunt/Quark (Star Trek)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 32





	an unexpected bonus

**Author's Note:**

> Set during that one minute or so of "Family Business" before Quark finds out why he's being audited. :)

Brunt makes his way through the Promenade's crowds with barely restrained contempt.

He hates dealing with the Federation. With any primitive offworlder society, for that matter.

He _especially_ hates arriving at non-Ferengi transportation hubs, with architectural designs centuries behind Ferengi civilization, if not millennia behind. There's barely any concession to sound dampening built into this _pitiful_ excuse of a former mining station - nothing on the level of Ferengi acoustics, in any case - and the constant clash of voices and footsteps and mechanical sounds in the background noise is setting Brunt's teeth on edge.

Another dressed female brushes past him, and he barely manages to repress a shudder.

It's all so... _foreign_.

The sooner he gets this over with, the better.

* * *

Finally, he arrives at the entrance to the bar.

Even from a distance, Brunt can tell it sounds busy inside. Noticeably busy.

Drink orders, dabo wheel spins, glasses clinking against glasses, bottles opening and closing, the faint beeps of payments being confirmed on padds...

Not bad.

Brunt's almost impressed. From what he's already examined of this auditee's annual reports and holdings back on Ferenginar, this amount of activity isn't typical for Quark's bar.

The sounds of commerce in full swing soothes him. He already feels himself relaxing, the tension from his grumpy walk through the Promenade melting away.

Now more curious than annoyed, Brunt walks through the multiple sets of doors, idly scrutinizing the offworlder rabble coming into view, wondering where this "Quark" might be.

Someone rushes past him with a heavy tray in his hands - another Ferengi, but far too servile-appearing to be the proprietor. Perhaps a waiter?

He glances back down at his padd, getting ready to pull up Quark's image from the FCA database, when a harried vision in delicate blues and pinks catches his eye.

The color combination is rather unusual, but oddly fetching. Certainly beyond what any Ferengi waiter or underpaid underling could afford. (Or be permitted to wear at work, at least).

_Got him._

Brunt smiles. "You must be Quark."

"That's me," Quark replies, barely giving him a sideways glance as he flits past him. "What can I do for you?"

Brunt can't help grinning dumbly after him.

It's instinctive, of course - he's merely delighted at what he's about to do. He's going to tell this ( _oddly fetching_ ) Quark that he's being audited by the Ferengi Commerce Authority, he's going to watch Quark's ( _pretty little_ ) face fall as he hands him the padd notifying him of official FCA business, and maybe he'll let his gaze linger on Quark's startled ( _gorgeously dark-rimmed seductive)_ eyes before he turns to affix the Writ of Accountability by the doors.

He does _so_ love this part of his job.

Brunt glides over to Quark's personal space, wondering if Quark might try to bribe him afterwards. With more than money.

It's not often his auditees are so... _alluring._

Almost irresistible.

As he goes through the motions and hands the padd over, gazing into Quark's eyes, it occurs to Brunt where he's seen that particular style of makeup before.

Interesting.

He hadn't bothered looking up anything about Quark's earlier past - it wasn't relevant to his preliminary research - but now he wonders.

Anyone could be a dabo boy if they were young enough and pretty enough, and Quark wouldn't be the first to pursue other opportunities after one too many nights of putting up with greedy hands and...

His lobes faintly flush.

Brunt immediately turns away from Quark to affix the Writ of Accountability onto the wall, taking care to make sure it's properly adhered.

He suppresses the infatuated smile that threatens to twitch once more on his lips, forces himself to maintain his usual professional facade.

Pretty as Quark is, he still has a job to do.

Back to business.


End file.
